Rites of Passage: Caleb
by littlelights
Summary: Caleb comes to terms with the aftermath of his ascension. A mood piece with purpose. Slight references to CalebSarah pairing.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The Characters involved are the property of TPTB.

There is no profit being made from this exercise, just writing for the heck of it. All reviews are welcome; flames will be sacrificed to the goddess of the barbeque pit.

Call me conventional, but I prefer to play in the sandbox of the Covenant movie-verse. So, don't expect any major surprises.

BTW: What's up with all the Covenant slash fic? Dude! WTF?

Special thanks to Tracy and Lisa, my ever faithful beta readers.

Rites of Passage: Caleb

By Little Lights

In the simplest of terms, he managed to live through his greatest rite of passage. Once he walked from one state of being to the next, he found himself reflecting on the days preceding the ascension. As if it was a normal affirmation of life, for anyone other than himself and the sons of Ipswich.

It had been a life changing passage of fire and of power, soaked with smoke and blood, and ultimately ending with loss. His father was truly dead and his assailant was missing. It was enough to make him weary and rub his eyes. No one who knew the real circumstances of his birthday would have blamed him for taking a few days off from school, feigning illness or family troubles. The provost would have accepted either excuse with a quirked eyebrow, but would have said nothing.

But it was a late afternoon on Monday. Nearly two days since acquiring his full powers of the Covenant, and Caleb Danvers was standing on the levee a fair distance from his house, allowing the peace and silence of the water guide his thoughts.

He needed time to adapt, he mused; a string of moments to ponder how his life had changed so drastically in such a small increment of time.

It was amazing really. In his mind, Caleb pondered the sensations flowing through his veins. He felt strangely whole, as if he had been missing something elemental. Now power tumbled through him and filled his body to the brim like water in a glass. There were the powers of his birthright but they were coupled with deeper feelings and passions. The sensations he'd experienced growing up were grey shades compared to the emotions he could experience now. And he'd had a taste of those depths, and to his great regret, he felt his first rush of power in battle with a new enemy instead of surrounded by his family and friends.

Carefree and in the midst of a good time, laughing with Pogue, keeping a jesting eye on Tyler and Reid's antics. Dancing with Sarah.

Caleb closed his eyes and allowed his head to fall back into the chilling autumn air. After everything, Sarah wanted to be with him. They'd driven away from the Putnam barn in silence, her small hands encompassing his larger one. When they arrived through the front door of his home, his mother had been there to welcome them. Their conversation had been short, his mother was preoccupied with his father's death. When she tried to explain the circumstances, Caleb had stopped her. He already knew his father was dead, and he guessed as to what had transpired between his parents during the night. Tyler and Reid called from the hospital to report that Pogue and Kate were improving by the hour. Whether or not Kate intended to take Pogue back into her life was a matter of contention, but Caleb had a feeling the couple would work out their differences.

Sarah held his hand as they walked the stairs to shower away the previous night. They cleaned up separately, and fell into his bed amidst another quiet spell. Neither of them spoke, but were content to drift in and out of sleep and wakefulness. Just as his new powers had enhanced who he was, Sarah had slipped naturally into his life as if she were the air in his lungs.

For the first time, he had been able to grasp the depth of his mother's despair. Here was the person who accepted everything he was with grace. It was as if he recognized her from this present moment when they were first introduced. Kate would probably call them soulmates, but the term seemed almost too loose a word. If this had been what his mother experienced, then her imbalances were understandable. His parents had loved each other, fiercely and without any of the complexities of doubt and misunderstanding. As he began to understand the process of building a life with someone he loved, he could imagine his mother's heartbreak of losing his father to the erratic addiction to power within him. He was certain more than one night had been spent with his mother in tears cursing all the sons of Ipswich. All her cynicism and anger were directed at the mystical heredity of his family. Caleb doubted she would ever fully recover from his father's fall from sanity.

Caleb was called back to the present when his cell phone rang loudly from his jacket pocket. He held the receiver to his ear and pulled his thoughts together.

"Hey Sarah."

"Hi," she replied, her soft and gentle voice was soothing to his mind. "Kate just called. She's being released from the hospital on Wednesday, but she probably won't go back to class until next week."

"That's good news."

"Yeah, I know she'll moan about staying in bed for a few days, but I figure she'll get over it when I drop off all her homework."

Caleb smiled. When Kate was in an agitated state, everyone knew about it.

"How's Pogue?" Sarah asked.

"He's better," Caleb said. "The doctors are still worried about his internal injuries. And his concussion is pretty much guaranteeing that he won't be coming home this weekend."

They were both quiet for a few moments, mentally adding up the losses of the last several days.

"What are you doing tonight?" Sarah asked.

"I haven't really thought about it." It was a lame statement, but true. Caleb probably would have stood in the same spot for hours if she hadn't called. He wasn't the brooding type. Responsible, protective and focused, of course. But in his experience, getting lost in a mental labyrinth wasn't productive. But it wasn't common place to battle an enemy using supernatural power either.

Sarah's voice captured his attention again. "Caleb, are you alright?" Her voice trembled softly, conveying her renewed worry for him.

"I'm just not focused right now." He explained, hoping the tone he naturally adapted during their private conversations would reassure her. "I've been thinking all day, trying to make sense of everything that's happened."

"I know." She assured. "And I missed you. Tyler and Reid felt it was their duty to stick by me all day during school. They dropped me off at my room an hour ago, to check on Pogue at the hospital."

Caleb suddenly felt like an ass. Without his instruction, his two younger friends had looked out for his girlfriend and were taking responsibility for his best friend. He had needed time away, but now he was reminded of the personal duties which required his attention.

"What are you working on now?" he asked, turning away from the water and walking toward his car parked just off the main road.

"Just reading for the contemporary writers unit." She said.

Caleb could feel everything she wasn't saying over the phone. About the looks and the stares from their classmates, about sitting by herself in some of her classes. Being alone in her dorm room.

He coaxed the car engine to life and pulled out onto the road. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Have you had dinner yet?"

"No, and I can bet you haven't either."

Caleb smiled again. "How do you feel about cheap takeout?"

"Depends on how it's delivered."

"Delivered at your door with a kiss in 20 minutes."

They quickly said goodbye as Caleb drove through the small town near school. The thoughts of his ascension, Chase Collins and the concerns of his friends still weighed on his mind. When his friends were together again, they'd renew their pact with each other. They were brothers, on the cusp of becoming men, who would have to be watchful of any enemies of the past and in the future. If they wanted to keep their loved ones safe beyond this moment, each of them would have to change. The escapades of their boyhoods and teenaged years would have to give way to the renewed responsibilities in their lives.

Caleb knocked on the door of Sarah's room with a warm bag of take out sandwiches in his hand. When she welcomed him in with a long kiss and a hug, he was reminded that although he had left one stage of his life, Sarah was the beginning of the other. And he had the deep knowledge that she would be right beside him for all of the moments ahead.

Fin


End file.
